Conventionally, an image forming apparatus is known which can carry out a decoloring processing on a paper printed with a recording agent (hereinafter, referred to as a “decolorable recording agent”) containing a coloring agent which is decolored through heating. For example, the image forming apparatus is an MFP (Multi-Function Peripheral). However, in the foregoing image forming apparatus, a case in which the decoloring processing is being carried out at the time a user carries out a printing operation is also considered. In such a case, as the user has to wait for until the decoloring processing is ended, there is a case in which time is spent until the printing operation is started.